Elliot

STORY EXCERPT

Elliot stood on the porch as he watched Jess talk with the new hired hands. His morning usually consisted of office work, but today he was interested in something else. More to the point—someone else.

Standing by Jess was a man who intrigued Elliot. His brother stood there deciding where the new hands should go, and before Elliot could stop himself, he headed toward his brother. “I’ll take him.”

Have you lost your mind?

He must have, because he couldn’t stop himself from moving closer. He needed to get to work, to ignore the strange urge inside of him. Hello, hired hand, remember?

He ignored his inner voice.

As they headed back toward the house, the guy gazed up at him with a smile. “I’m Courtney.”

Kind of a girly name.

But the name fit the man and he liked it. “I’m Elliot Wylde.”

Courtney’s lips curved upward. “Wow, what a strong name for such a strong man.”

Elliot’s face burned with heat. “I’ll be right back.” Before Courtney could say another word, Elliot headed toward the house, breathing hard as he wondered if he hadn’t really lost his damn mind. He had a rule of no fooling around with the hands, but one pretty face and he was breaking it like a bad habit.

“You want another cup before I put this away?” Aunt Meg asked as she entered the dining room, wiping her hands on a towel. Elliot nodded. Hell, he needed something stronger. Was five in the morning too early to start tossing back shots?

“You looked flushed.” Aunt Meg held concern in her honey-gold eyes. “Are you coming down with something?”

Yeah, stupid-itis.

“No, I’m fine.” He accepted the mug from his aunt and saw the morning paper on the sideboard. Snagging it, he walked back outside. The way he was behaving was bizarre and a little confusing. He was ready to go back to bed and start his day all over again. Maybe his common sense would be intact this time.

You’ve already offered to take him so just stick to business.

Clearing his throat, Elliot stepped onto the porch. The activity around the ranch had already begun, the hired hands busy with their jobs. The only two standing around were Courtney and the other new hire, Ben Cross.

Courtney turned toward him and, even from this distance, Elliot could see pleasure in the man’s eyes. Courtney started to walk toward him and Elliot stood there, hypnotized by the sway of the man’s hips. They rocked back and forth gently, making Elliot’s cock jerk in his jeans.

Fuck, he’s pretty.

Courtney stopped in front of him, cocking his head to the side while he smiled in a bemused manner at Elliot. “Where’d you go? I usually don’t lose men.”

Elliot wasn’t sure what to say to that. Was it a come-on? “I’m working in my office today, but I could use some help organizing the paperwork.”

A smirk tightened at the side of Courtney’s mouth and Elliot suddenly wondered what it would be like to kiss those blushing lips. “Carson didn’t say anything about an office assistant, but I’d be more than happy to help you with anything you need.”

Lord, help me. “Follow me.”

Courtney moved in front of Elliot, pulling the screen door open. When Elliot’s brow hitched up, Courtney said, “Your hands are full, boss.”

“Just call me Elliot.” He walked in to see Aunt Meg clearing away the breakfast dishes. She glanced at Courtney, as if measuring him up, and then gave the man a warm smile.

“And who do we have here?”

She was greeting Courtney as if Elliot was bringing a damn date home—which he’d never done a day in his life.

“A hired hand.” He stressed the words, hoping she took the hint. But Aunt Meg wasn’t one to be easily dissuaded. She walked around the cluttered table, giving Courtney’s hand a shake.

“I like her,” Courtney said as he smiled at Elliot and then turned toward Aunt Meg. “I’m Courtney Landing, ma’am.”

“Everyone just calls me Aunt Meg. Would you like some coffee, Courtney?” Before an answer was given, Elliot’s aunt was going back into the kitchen.

“She’s so sweet.” Courtney said it like he had just been playing with a small puppy. “I think I’m going to like it here.”

“Don’t get too comfortable in the house.” Elliot began to move down the hallway. “This is just for today. Tomorrow you’ll be out there with the other hands.” He wasn’t even sure why he’d taken Courtney from Jess. When in the house, Elliot liked to work alone. It was his unwinding time, his chance to snatch a few hours of peace. He had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen with Courtney around.

Aunt Meg came down the hallway, white mug in her hand. “It’s black. I wasn’t sure what you took in it.”

“This is fine.” Courtney took the mug and then dropped a quick kiss on Aunt Meg’s cheek. “Thank you so much for offering it to me.”

His aunt’s cheek flamed with embarrassment as she shooed him away. Elliot rolled his eyes at the transparent ass kissing. “Let’s get to work.”

Settling behind his desk, Elliot set his mug down, tossed the morning paper aside, and then showed Courtney what he wanted done. The man’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared at the monitor. “I know this program. I used it at my last job.”

“Which was?” Elliot asked, wondering if Courtney was telling the truth. He seemed pretty good as schmoozing and Elliot refused to be taken in by the man’s pretty face.

Dumb shmuck. You already have.

Courtney smirked, apparently hearing the doubt in Elliot’s tone. “I was a secretary for a small advertising company in Ridge Creek.”

Elliot asked heartily, “Then why are you working a cattle ranch?”

“Don’t make fun of me. I like to try new things.” Courtney moved closer, clicking a few buttons and showing Elliot some things he didn’t even know about the program he’d worked with for close to ten months. The guy really did seem to know what he was doing.

ADULT EXCERPT

God, this felt so damn good. His apartment didn’t even have half the water pressure Elliot’s shower was giving him. What he wouldn’t give to have water pressure like this at home. Courtney stuck his head under the spray, feeling like a new man as he scrubbed his body down. He remembered that he wasn’t at home and needed to hurry.

Too bad he couldn’t spend another half an hour in there, but he had to get out. Courtney cut the water and stepped onto the rug, grabbing a towel from the rack by the medicine cabinet. Once he ran the cloth over his damp hair, he dried himself off and walked out into the bedroom.

Tossing the towel over his shoulder, he began to look through Elliot’s drawers for some jogging pants.

“What are you doing?”

Courtney froze. Elliot was standing in the doorway, looking seven kinds of pissed. Oh, boy. The man was going to fire him. He could see it in Elliot’s dark-grey eyes. This really sucked because Courtney needed this job. It had taken him three months just to get another job after the advertising company had folded. Work was scarce and he couldn’t afford to be unemployed. “I’m really sorry,” he quickly said. “I was feeling so damn nasty after waking up from sweating and vomiting that I needed to get the scum off of me.”

“I was talking about you going through my drawers.” Elliot moved into the room, shutting the one Courtney had just been rifling through. “This is my bedroom. I expected you to respect that fact when I allowed you to rest in here.”

“I was just looking to see if you had any jogging pants. I swear, Elliot, I wasn’t snooping. I told you that you could trust me, and I meant that.” Courtney was feeling desperate, terrified that Elliot was going to tell him to get the hell out.

“You could have just asked.”

Courtney waved a hand at his body. “I’m naked. I’m real sure Aunt Meg would have had something to say if I’d come down there with my dick swinging in the wind. She seems pretty open minded, but I’m sure she draws the line at exposed ass cracks.”

A smile twitched at Elliot’s lips. Courtney grinned. Elliot chuckled. Courtney burst out laughing. And then the most unexpected thing happened. Elliot moved into Courtney’s space, grabbed his hips, and crushed his mouth over Courtney’s.

Holy shit!

Courtney snagged Elliot around the nape of his neck, pulling the man closer as his exposed cock hardened until it was smashed between them. He rocked his body up and down, using the friction to pleasure himself.

Elliot’s callused hand was firm at the small of his back, one finger just tracing the top of Courtney’s crack. Flames licked up his spine and he was afraid he was gonna come right there, right then. Elliot pulled back enough to tip his head and slant their mouths together more deeply. His tongue licked Courtney’s teeth, swept the depths of his desire. Courtney’s hair was in both their eyes, a lustrous tangle that kept them from looking at each other clearly.

Reaching up with one hand, Elliot brushed the wet strands aside as Courtney continued to rub his cock over Elliot’s clothes. “Please, Elliot…oh…please let me get off.”

Courtney had never wanted something as badly as he wanted release. Just the hot, sweaty smell of the man bruising his lips was making him senseless. Elliot pushed Courtney into the dresser before wrapping his fingers around Courtney’s cock, stroking it with quick, eager moves.

He hissed as his fingers scrambled to unsnap Elliot’s pants. He got the zipper down and then reached past the denim and underwear, gasping as he felt the thick girth in his hand. Both hands were pumping, both men groaning and panting.

Courtney spread his legs wider, wishing they would go further, but didn’t ask for fear of breaking whatever spell they were under. As if the man had been inside his head, Elliot released Courtney’s shaft, spun him around, and bent him over the dresser before dropping to his knees and tonguing Courtney’s hole.

“Oh, fuuuccck!” Courtney groaned loudly. He wasn’t sure what the hell had gotten into the man, but prayed Elliot didn’t stop. If he did, Courtney was going to beat the man over the head with his erection.

When Elliot inserted a finger into the tiny pink muscles, Courtney damn near crawled up the wall. He hitched one leg on the dresser, his fingers curling into the edge of the wood.

“You made me break my goddamn rule.” Elliot growled before biting him on the ass. Courtney was well aware of what he was talking about. Aunt Meg had already filled him in. But the woman had been wrong about Courtney needing to make the first move.

Elliot was a beast.

There were two fingers now fucking his ass, and Courtney couldn’t stand still. He kept bucking, jutting his ass further out, feeling Elliot lapping at his balls. God, he was going to come if the man didn’t hurry up and get inside of him.

“Now, Elliot…now!”

The drawer was pulled open and Courtney could see Elliot grabbing a condom. Just how many stashes did the man have? If shit got serious between them, he was going to have a talk with Elliot about why he needed to stuff condoms around his bedroom.

Courtney nearly went mad waiting for Elliot to roll the damn thing on. He was about to turn around and help when he felt the blunt head pushing at his hole. Courtney took matters into his own hands and slammed his ass back, seating himself as they both hissed and groaned.

“I think I just pushed the breath out of me.” Courtney swallowed hard, sweat breaking out all over his body.

There goes my shower.

Elliot licked a path up Courtney’s arm until he reached his shoulder, placing a kiss there before he asked, “Ready?”

Good god! The man’s eyes were dark steel. He was so fucking sexy that Courtney nearly whimpered.

Elliot thrust his hips.

Courtney did whimper.

“Come on, baby. You can take me.” Elliot grabbed Courtney’s hips and began to piston into him as he licked a path up his spine. He wasn’t sure if they should be doing this, but common sense had fled the moment Elliot touched him. He was puttering along on pure instinct now. Horny instinct. That should have been a warning sign in and of itself.

Cody

STORY EXCERPT

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Cody said to himself when he saw flashing lights in his rearview mirror. And of course, it couldn’t be one of the deputies. No, from the large figure he saw behind the wheel, it had to be Sheriff Boone Bennett.

The man had harassed Cody as a teenager—though Cody was responsible for most of the run-ins he had with the sheriff—and it seemed old habits died hard. Cody pulled his truck over to the side of the road, putting it in park as he watched Bennett pull over his black sheriff’s car with yellow decals as well.

He hadn’t been speeding. He knew that for a fact. Why couldn’t the guy retire? Bennett had to be what, thirty-five? Cody would have thought the man would be tired of messing with him by now, but apparently the jerk had a hard-on for him.

If he wasn’t such a prick, a hard-on could lead to so many pleasurable things.

But the man was a thorn in his side. When Bennett approached his window, Cody rolled it down, letting the hot June air rush in and steal the coolness of the interior. “What can I do for you, Bennett?”

The man’s sheriff hat was pulled down low over his dark brows, a scowl etched on his face. His hazel eyes flickered over the inside of Cody’s truck before settling on him. “Your taillight is out.”

Cody glanced out the window and then rolled his eyes. Like he could see the dang thing from where he was sitting. He just had to take the man’s word for it. “I’ll get that fixed right away.”

“Would you mind stepping out of your vehicle?” Bennett stepped back, his expression inscrutable as he waited for Cody to comply. Anger and uncertainty filled Cody. Who stepped out of their car for a broken taillight? Something wasn’t right. The sheriff wasn’t acting his usual cocky self. His control was a little too tight, his eyes concentrating a little too heavily on Cody’s face. Cody casually reached for the handle, keeping his eyes on the sheriff the entire time. Try as he might, he couldn’t get a read on the man. What was he up to?

“I haven’t done anything wrong, Sheriff Bennett.”

Sliding from the driver’s seat, Cody moved until he was standing next to the door. He kept his hands where Bennett could see them as he waited for the man to tell him why exactly he had to get out of his truck.

“I heard you were gambling last night.”

Cody clenched his jaw. “Troy’s just mad because I took his money. It was fair and square. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“How long have we known each other?” Bennett asked as he rested his hands on hips in a loose manner. The question caught Cody off guard. That wasn’t what he had expected the man to say. He had to actually think back to the first time he’d met the guy.

“Since you busted me drinking moonshine on Joey Parker’s property five years ago.” Cody had been sixteen at the time and full of piss and vinegar. He remembered arguing with the sheriff that he hadn’t touched a drop of the gut-rot stuff. Of course, he had slurred every damn denied word. His Uncle Andy had punished Cody harder than the law could have. He had worked Cody hard for two weeks straight, never letting up. It hadn’t taught Cody not to drink the stuff. It had just taught him to be more cautious.

“Five years,” Bennett repeated as he shook his head. “How many times have I arrested you?”

The man was definitely making Cody reach back into his memory this evening. He wasn’t sure where this line of questioning was going, but he wanted to answer the man and get the hell out of there. “More than I care remember to remember.”

Sheriff Bennett nodded in agreement, taking a step closer. Cody wasn’t sure what the older man was up to, but he knew fighting a cop wasn’t a smart move. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t you think it’s time we stopped pussyfooting around?” One hand landed on the right side of Cody, the sheriff leaning in, his lips close enough to kiss. Now this was something wholly unexpected. Cody seemed to lose the ability to breathe as Bennett’s scent invaded the air around him. “Tell me you aren’t attracted to me, Cody Wylde.”

“I’m not attracted to you, Cody Wylde,” he repeated, unable to think clearly as he looked at the man in a whole new light. What was he up to? Was the sheriff serious? Why hadn’t he noticed before that the guy had the hots for him?

“Brat,” Bennett murmured before leaning even closer, the graze of his beard burning across Cody’s chin as he pressed their lips together. For a maddening second, Cody leaned into the sultry kiss, forgetting…just forgetting, until Bennett tried to insert a leg between Cody’s.

Coming to his senses, Cody pushed the man away, his breathing ragged as he gazed up into hazel eyes that were filled with liquid heat. The man was dead serious. He wasn’t playing at any game. Bennett wanted Cody and that scared him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

A slow, slick smile spread across Bennett’s lips. “Courting you, so get ready.”

Was the guy loopy? “You arrest me, Bennett. You don’t court me.” He tried to move from between the sheriff and his truck, but the man had him pinned in. Cody wasn’t sure what was going on, but he needed breathing space, and fast. “Back off.”

The lickable twist to the sheriff’s lips deepened into a wicked grin. His hazel eyes seemed to smolder even hotter at Cody’s rejection. Oh yeah, the man was nutty. He wore an expression that said he wasn’t giving up so easily.

ADULT EXCERPT

There were circles under the man’s eyes, something Boone had never noticed before. He didn’t know Cody too well and wasn’t sure if the man was working too hard, but there was an exhaustion that covered the man in a heavy blanket. He felt like an ass for letting Cody come over after everything that happened today.

“How do you deal with…seeing death?” Cody took a swig of beer, his eyes cutting over to Boone.

Settling back, Boone rested his head on the back of the couch. “One day at a time.”

The couch dipped as Cody repositioned himself, his body facing Boone. “I’ve never seen a dead body. I think I would freak out if I did.”

Cody would have had nightmares for a very long time if he’d seen Roger. Like you won’t. Even after all this time, Boone still hadn’t found a way to shove his work aside when he got home. It stayed with him, creeping into his dreams. “They say cops and medical personnel develop a thick layer of skin over the years. But I haven’t. I feel the loss greatly. I can still see every kid that’s been abused, every disturbing scene I’ve been to. Death has a nasty odor and it clings to you long after the body has been buried.”

This wasn’t a subject Boone was fond of. He wanted to change the subject. “How is the ranch doing?”

Resting an arm on the back of the couch, Cody lifted and lowered his shoulders. “New hands were hired a few weeks back and we hired some new hands.”

Boone remembered seeing the new hands at Lucy’s. “How’s that working out?”

Cody leaned in, as if sharing a secret. “I think Courtney, the blond, is hot for Elliot.”

One of Boone’s brows inched up. “Elliot’s a hard nut to crack.”

“I also think Ben, the big fella, is on Jess’s radar, although they avoid each other like the plague. But I see the way they look at each other.” Cody leaned back and swallowed the rest of his beer, setting the empty bottle on the coffee table.

Cody seemed relaxed when talking about his family. It was a safe topic. He wanted to ask who Cody had on his radar, but instead, he reached for the remote a second after the cowboy had. His hand blanketed Cody’s, seeming two times the size of the other man’s.

He curled his fingers around the smaller, work-worn hand, pulling Cody closer. Don’t do this. He came over to relax, not be accosted. But when Cody didn’t pull away, Boone tugged the man closer until the guy tumbled forward, landing in Boone’s lap.

Why can’t I resist him? Boone ran his fingers over Cody’s chin, amazed at how soft the thin beard felt. Using his other hand, Boone lifted Cody a little higher before he lowered his head, brushing his lips over velvety smoothness. A spike of excitement shot through Boone’s brain and buried itself in his chest.

A hand slid under Cody’s shirt, smoothing across his rippled belly. A muscle jerked under his hand as Cody sucked on Boone’s tongue. His exploration was tentative, giving the cowboy time to pull back.

Cody scooched up further in Boone’s lap, his ass centered on Boone’s crotch, making his dick thicken. The guy had to feel what he was doing to Boone. There was no way he couldn’t notice a seven incher pressing into his ass.

Pulling his head back, Cody’s lips separated as Boone's breath came out in small bursts. He reached for the hand Boone had on the man’s stomach and pressed it closer to the fly of his jeans. Together, they worked his jeans open before Boone slipped his hand into Cody’s underwear, finding a hard cock lying against the man’s lower stomach.

Was the guy asking him to…? He had to be. Cody was the one who’d guided Boone’s hand, helping him free the beast Boone currently had his fingers wrapped around. But how far did Cody want to go? A hand job or full out nakedness?

He slicked his thumb over the pre-cum leaking out and then shoved the finger into his mouth. Cody’s eyes widened as Boone licked his finger clean. The taste made him groan, wanting more from the source.

What if you two get hot and heavy, and then Cody gives you the cold shoulder? It was a risk Boone was willing to take in order to taste the man.

Boone felt a spike of trepidation as he moved Cody until the man was lying on the couch, gazing up at Boone. Grabbing Cody’s foot, Boone slipped the man’s boot off and then did the same for the other.

When he reached for Cody’s jeans, the man grabbed Boone by the wrists, his eyes locked onto Boone like a missile ready to launch. Boone pulled his hands free and then grabbed the waist of Cody’s pants, lowering them until he wrestled the things from around Cody’s ankles.

Cody's breathing was slow and deep as Boone lowered himself between the man’s legs, watching, gauging Cody’s reaction before taking the man into his mouth. Cody’s body was sleek and proportioned, his cock thick as Boone sucked the head past his lips.

Cody’s legs spread as he hissed, his hands landing on Boone’s head, his grip strangling his hair. He looked up, stunned at the desire and vulnerability in Cody’s light-brown eyes. The man tasted like a dream and Boone couldn’t believe he finally had Cody under him.

Pulling Cody’s cock from his mouth, Boone rubbed his stubble along the man’s inner thigh, his tongue snaking out to taste the sac an inch from his lips. Cody’s thighs shook, his grip growing tighter in Boone’s hair. Pulling.

He wanted to show Cody so many different ways of being pleasured, to give until they were both spent and sweaty. Boone reached into his shorts and began to stroke himself as he lapped at Cody’s salty, musky skin, devouring the man and showing him how good this could be between them if only Cody gave them a chance.

Licking his way back to the tip of Cody’s cock, Boone swallowed him, his hand pumping his thick piece of flesh harder, taking Cody all the way to the back of his throat.